Heavy breeze and high seas – remnants of Hurricane Harvey – made for some exhilarating racing on Narragansett Bay for the 90th edition of the Conanicut Yacht Club Around the Island Race. The day kicked off with wind speeds clocking in over 20 knots, forcing Race Committee to postpone the start 1.5 hours and send the five small boat classes on a shortened inshore course. The remaining five classes proceeded to race 18.1 nautical miles counter clockwise around Conanicut Island. Although the rigorous conditions convinced 35 of the original 98 entrants to drop out before the start, the remaining 63 teams all successfully finished the race and winners were crowned in 10 classes. Mike Hill’s J/24 Obstreperous took home the Robert A. MacLeod Rear Commodore Trophy for being the CYC member with the lowest corrected time in a boat with an overall length less than 31 feet and a PHRF rating greater than 174.
“This is the second year in a row that we’ve had to contend with hurricanes during the race, but I think the conditions definitely made for an exciting race and competitors enjoyed the challenge that it provided,” said Race Organizing Chairman Alan Baines. “The Around the Island Race is a summer favorite among many sailors in the area and the enthusiasm surrounding it seems to build every year. All in all, I think we rang in The Race’s 90th anniversary in style, mixing some thrilling racing with lots of fun. I look forward to what next year will bring.” For complete results, visit http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=14835&show_crew=1&&show_divisions=1.